Inland Valley News seeks to Educate, Equip and Empower to Execute!

Jan 3 4 Things You Might Not Know About Prescription Drug Costs

The high cost of prescription medications is an ongoing health crisis for millions of Americans who are desperate for relief.

These high prices often force people to choose between buying their medications and paying for gas, food or even their mortgage. Many people are either skipping doses, splitting pills or forgoing medications completely, which creates a potentially dangerous situation as these medications are used to control everything from asthma to high cholesterol to arthritis.

Little has been done to lower pharmaceutical costs in the U.S. The following are some facts you might not know about pharmaceutical costs:

1) Lawmakers face resistance from pharmaceutical manufacturers who aim to maintain their high profits. Congress and state legislatures have put forth options to address our country's high drug prices, but most proposals will take years to implement ... if they move forward at all.

2) The U.S. doesn't have any laws or regulations in place to prevent or control the amount of money a pharmaceutical company can charge for its medications. Americans already pay more for prescription medications compared to patients in any other country in the world, despite the global market nature of the pharmaceutical industry.

3) For years, the Internet has made it possible for Americans to fill their prescription medications at significantly lower cost through licensed, legitimate Canadian pharmacies. These online pharmacies prioritize safety and affordability, and millions of Americans have turned to Canada to buy their daily medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and its Canadian counterpart, Health Canada, have equivalent standards when it comes to prescription medications.

4) The problem is only going to get worse. The growth of spending on pharmaceuticals is expected to grow an average of 6.3 percent per year due to increasing drug prices and use of specialty drugs, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. By 2020, the Department of Commerce estimates that Americans will spend an estimated $610 billion on prescription drugs.

Now is the time to find an online pharmacy that you can trust to access safe and affordable prescription medications.

As with all industries, there are "rogue" players and other bad actors on the Internet. However, consumers can find licensed, legitimate online pharmacies that can be trusted. Licensed, legitimate pharmacies have safety protocols in place, including requiring a signed prescription from a patient's doctor, and they don't sell opioids or other controlled substances via the Internet.

In May 2019, British artist Chemical X’s art installation “Skid Rodeo Drive” highlighted the economic disparities in Los Angeles, where scores of homeless people live in tent communities not far from luxe enclaves like the famed Rodeo Drive. In the L.A. suburb of Pacoima, Calif., dozens of predominantly African American people are living in tents under the Ronald Reagan Freeway.Photo: Ari Perilstein (Getty Images for Chemical X)